Smith, Savard, and Zevnik Highlight Star-Studded Canadian WUGS Roster

Swimming Canada will send a star-studded roster to the 2017 World University Games (Summer Universiade) from August 20th-27th in Taipei, Taiwan, including multiple NCAA champions and Olympians.

Among the swimmers going will be breaststroker Kierra Smith, who recently completed her last season of collegiate eligibility at the University of Minnesota in the United States. Smith swam both breaststroke races at last summer’s Olympic Games in Rio, including a 7th-place finish in the 200 breaststroke.

Also out of the American collegiate system is a pair of swimmers from NC State – Alexia Zevnik and Mackenzie Glover.

Also from last year’s Olympic team, Québécoise Katerine Savard will head to the Universiade this summer. She took 15th in the 200 free in Rio and also earned a bronze medal in the 800 free relay. Kennedy Goss, another member of this year’s WUGs team, was also on that medal-winning 800 free relay.

The men’s side is not as deep, which has become a familiar ring in Canadian swimming, but will include Olympian Markus Thormeyer, who was on the country’s 7th-place Olympic 400 free relay. Distance swimmer Eric Hedlin, who too bronze at the 2013 World University Games in the 800 free, will travel to his second World University Games.

The team leader is Iain McDonald, while the head coach will be Vlastimil Cerny from the University of Manitoba – coach of team member Kelsey Wog.

See the full 2017 World University Games roster below: